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The education conference, called “Explore Your Possibilities Day,” will focus on inspiring participants to succeed in high school, and later, college or university.

Youth in care come from a variety of backgrounds. Many of them experience life events that create barriers to educational success, which draws their attention away from school or planning post-secondary studies.

Explore Your Possibilities Day was organized by the Crown Ward Education Championship Team (CWECT), which is made up of two local child protection agencies, local school boards, post-secondary institutions, and community partners who work collaboratively to enhance the wellbeing of children in care.

Conference Aims to Inspire Youth in Care

“Child welfare is everyone’s concern. When the community and professionals come together and place concerted energy in supporting youth to achieve positive outcomes, it does make a difference,” said Richard Garneau, CWECT Lead and Supervisor of the Youth Initiatives Team at the Children’s Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin. “These very important community partnerships are essential to the success of children in care. The Education Conference is an opportunity for the youth to be inspired and to explore their post-secondary options.”

Tiffany Pollock is a 23-year old former crown ward whose dedication to her own success proves that anything is possible. She earned Social Service Worker Diploma and a Child and Youth Care Advanced Diploma from Cambrian College and is now the Program Coordinator/Mentor with the CWECT.

Pollock said that through her post-secondary journey, she realized that:

It doesn’t matter what your family history is, or where you come from. You have the same potential and opportunities as anyone else.

Pollock delivers that message to young people that she encounters through her career, which was made possible through her post-secondary education and training.

Members of the CWECT work collaboratively to enhance graduation and success rates for children and youth in care. The Team is comprised of representatives from:

Cambrian College

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Sudbury-Manitoulin

Children’s Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin

Collége Borèal

Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario

Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario

Kina Gbezhgomi Child and Family Services

Laurentian University

Rainbow District School Board

Sudbury Catholic District School Board

YMCA of Sudbury

Funding for this initiative is provided by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and administered by the CWECT.

Cambrian College is accepting applications for a new graduate certificate program that will begin in September 2017: Project Management. A Mobile Application Development graduate certificate program will begin in September 2018.